Score card holder

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a device for holding a score card. It has three pieces: (1) a rigid, generally rectangular, planar support member having an edge portion, an inside surface, and an outside surface, and (2) a clip member 14 secured along the edge portion of the support member 12, and (3) a hook member 28. The support member has dimensions slightly greater than the dimensions of the score card and a cut-a-way corner section, and the clip member 14 is a unitary structure made from a polymeric material. It has three main components: a mounting section 24, a finger element 26, and a pencil holder 30. The mounting section 24 abuts and is secured to the inside surface 22 of the support member 12 adjacent the edge portion of the support member. The finger element 26 extends outwardly in a first direction from the mounting section 24, and has a downward extending tip section 34 which is spaced from the mounting section 24 to provide a narrow gap A which receives the edge portion of the support member. The tip section 34 overlaps the support member along the edge portion, extending along substantially the entire length of the edge portion of the support member. The tip section 34 is biased to act like a spring to bear against the outside surface 20 of the support member. Upon inserting an edge of the score card between the tip section 34 and the outside surface 20 of the support member, the finger element 26 holds the score card snugly between the tip section 34 and the outside surface. The hook member 28 extends outwardly from the inside surface of the mounting member 12 in a second direction which is generally opposite to the first direction. The hook member 28 is adapted to slip over and grasp an open mouth of a club holding receptacle of a golf bag. The pencil holder 30 extends in the second direction outwardly from the mounting member 24 and is positioned between the hook member 28 and the tip section 34  of the support member adjacent the cut-a-way corner section 18.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a device for holding a score card or the like.It includes only three pieces: a support member for the card so that thecard may be written upon; a clip attached to the support member thatremovably holds the card by an edge; and a hook member which enables thedevice to be removably attached to the rim of, for example, a golf bag.

2. Background Discussion

Score cards are utilized in many different sporting activities, and itis desirable to provide devices which hold the card and allow one toeasily mark the card. In the sport of golf, it is desirable that theholder be removably attached to the golf bag. Such devices should berugged, easy to use, and simply and economically manufactured. Thepresent invention provides such a score card holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The score card holder of this invention has several features, no singleone of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Withoutlimiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims whichfollow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. Afterconsidering this discussion, and particularly after reading the sectionentitled, "DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT," one willunderstand how the features of this invention provide its advantages,which include low cost of manufacture, convenience of use, compactness,and rugged construction.

The first feature is the score card holder has only three pieces. Onepiece is a rigid planer support member, a clip member secured to thesupport member along an edge portion of a support member for holding ascore card or the like, and a hook member adapted to grasp a rim or anedge. The clip member is a unitary structure including a finger elementand a pencil holder.

The second feature is that the planer support member has a generallyrectangular configuration with dimensions slightly greater than thedimensions of the score card. One corner of the support member is cutaway. This cut-away section provides access to the pencil holder.

The third feature is that the mounting section abuts and is secured tothe inside surface of the support member adjacent to the edge portion ofthe support member. The finger member extends outwardly in a firstdirection from the mounting section. This finger element has a downwardextending tip generally at a right angle. The tip is spaced from themounting section to provide a narrow gap which receives the edge portionof the support member. Thus, the tip overlaps the support member alongthe edge portion.

The fourth feature is that the tip extends along substantially theentire length of the edge portion of the support member. It is biased toact like a spring which bears against the outside surface of the supportmember so that, upon inserting the edge of the score card between thetip and the outside surface, the tip holds the score card snugly againstthe outside surface of the support member.

The fifth feature is that the hook member extends outwardly from theinside surface of the support member in a second direction opposite tothat of the finger element. The hook is adapted to slip over and grasp,for example, the open mouth of a club-holding receptacle of a golf bag.

The sixth feature is that the pencil holder, which is also extendingoutwardly from the mounting member in the same direction as the hookmember, is positioned near the hook member adjacent the cut-away cornersection.

The seventh feature is that the pencil holder is generally a hollow,cylindrical member with opposed open ends and a longitudinal slittherein that allows the holder to expand upon inserting a pencil intoone of the open ends. The pencil holder is oriented so that thelongitudinal axis of the holder is generally parallel to the edgeportion of the support member.

As a result of the configuration of the clip member and the way it andthe hook member are attached to the support member, a compact, rugged,easy to assemble and use score card holder is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The preferred embodiment of this invention, illustrating all itsfeatures, will now be discussed in detail. This embodiment depicts thenovel and non-obvious score card holder of this invention depicted inthe accompanying drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only. Thisdrawing includes the following figures (FIGS.), with like numeralsindicating like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the score card holder of this inventionattached to the rim of a golf bag.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the score card holder of thisinvention, showing the unique configuration of the clip member.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevational view of the tip ofthe clip member with a score card being grasped by the tip.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the score card holder of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of the card holder of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 4, the score card holder 10 ofthis invention includes a rigid, generally rectangular support panel 12,and a clip member 14 secured to the support panel 12 along an upper edge16 of the panel, and a hook member 28. The clip member 14 and hookmember 28 are injection molded pieces made preferably of polystyrene orABS resin.

The support panel 12 has a generally rectangular configuration with acut-away corner section 18 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The panel 12 has an outsidesurface 20 and inside surface 22, both of which are flat and smooth. Thewidth of the panel 12 is approximately four inches, the height of thepanel is approximately five and three-quarters inches, and the upperedge 16 of the panel has a length of approximately two and one-halfinches. The cut-away section 18 has dimensions of approximatelythree-quarters of an inch in height, and one inch in width. Thethickness of the panel 12 is approximately 0.080 inch.

The clip member 14 has a generally rectangular mounting section 24, afinger element 26, and a pencil holder 30, all of which are integral,being formed during the injection moulding process. The mounting section24 has its inner surface 32 abutting the inside surface 22 of the panel12. These abutting surfaces 22 and 32 are bonded together by anadhesive. The finger element 26, which is at the upper edge 24a (FIG.2A) of the mounting section 24, extends outwardly from the mountingsection away from the inner surface 32. The finger element 26 includes adownward extending tip section 34. The lower end 34a of the tip section34 is beveled, and spaced apart from the mounting section 24 to providea narrow gap A between the inner surface 32 and the tip section 34. Thisgap A has a width slightly less than the thickness of the support panel12. The upper edge portion 16 of the support panel 12 upon beinginserted into the gap A pushes the tip section 34 away from the mountingsection 24 so that the tip section 34 is spring-biased and bears snuglyagainst the outside surface 20 of the panel. Thus, an edge 38a of ascore card 38 may be easily pushed between the tip section 34 and theoutside surface 20 so that the tip section 34 will flex outwardly andthen bear against the score card and hold it in place. The rigid panel12 provides support for the score card 38 so that one may write upon thescore card.

The hook member 28 includes a mounting plate 29 which is bonded by anadhesive to the inside surface 22 of the support panel 12. Pointingoutwardly from the mounting plate 29 in a direction generally oppositeto the direction of the finger element 26 is a hook arm 31 of the hookmember 28. This hook arm 31 has an outwardly extending arm 40 (FIG. 2)and a downward extending leg 42 which has a lip 44 that projectsoutwardly. The overall height of the leg 42 is approximately two andone-half inches, and the arm 40 is approximately three-quarters of aninch below the upper edge 16 of the panel 12. The hook member 28 actslike a spring and allows the user to simply slip the hook member overthe rim of a golf bag 48 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The hook member 28will flex outwardly and grasp the wall of the golf bag 48 snugly toremovably attach the holder 10 to the golf bag.

The pencil holder 30 is disposed between the hook member 28 and thefinger element 26. This pencil holder 30 comprises a generally hollow,cylindrical member with opposed, open ends 50 and 52 and a longitudinalslit 54 in its wall. Thus, a pencil 56 may be conveniently insertedthrough either open end 50 or 52, with the cylindrical wall expandingupon insertion of the pencil into the pencil holder 30. As depicted inFIG. 3, a pencil 56 is shown with an end portion 56a being exposedbecause of the cut-away corner section 18.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated ofcarrying out the present invention, and of the manner and process ofmaking and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as toenable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make anduse this invention. This invention is, however, susceptible tomodifications and alternate constructions from that discussed abovewhich are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention tolimit this invention to the particular embodiment disclosed. On thecontrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternateconstructions coming within the spirit and scope of the invention asgenerally expressed by the following claims, which particularly pointout and distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention:

I claim:
 1. A device for holding a card, includinga rigid, planarsupport member having an edge portion, an inside surface, and an outsidesurface, and a clip member secured along the edge portion of the supportmember, and havinga mounting section which abuts and is secured to theinside surface of the support member adjacent said edge portion of thesupport member, a finger element extending outwardly in a firstdirection from the mounting section and overlapping said edge portion toextend outward from the outside surface, said finger element having adownward extending tip section which is spaced from the mounting sectionto provide a narrow gap into which the edge portion of the supportmember fits so the tip section overlaps the support member along saidedge portion, said tip section being biased to act like a spring whichbears against the outside surface of the support member and, uponinserting an edge of the card between the tip section and the outsidesurface of the support member, is adapted to hold the card snuglybetween said tip section and said outside surface, said tip sectionextending along substantially the entire length of the edge portion ofthe support member, and a pencil holder extending outwardly from themounting member in a second direction which is generally opposite tosaid first direction, said pencil holder being on the side of thesupport member opposite that of the finger element, and being betweenthe hook member and the tip section, a hook member extending outwardlyfrom the inside surface in a second direction which is generallyopposite to said first direction, said hook member being adapted to slipover and grasp an edge of a container.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherethe pencil holder is near the hook member.
 3. The device of claim 2wherein the pencil holder is a generally hollow cylindrical member withopposed open ends and a longitudinal slit therein that allows thecylindrical member to expand upon inserting a pencil into one of theopen ends.
 4. The device of claim 1 where the support member has agenerally rectangular configuration with a cut-a-away corner sectionalong said edge portion adjacent the pencil holder.
 5. The device ofclaim 1 where the support member has dimensions slightly greater thanthe dimensions of a typical score card used when playing golf.
 6. Adevice for holding a gold score card, includinga rigid, generallyrectangular, planar support member having an edge portion, an insidesurface, and an outside surface, said support member having dimensionsslightly greater than the dimensions of the score card and a cut-a-waycorner section, and a clip member secured along the edge portion of thesupport member, said clip member being a unitary structure made from apolymeric material and havinga mounting section which abuts and issecured to the inside surface of the support member adjacent said edgeportion of the support member a finger element extending outwardly in afirst direction from the mounting section, said finger element having adownward extending tip section which is spaced from the mounting sectionto provide a narrow gap into which the edge portion of the supportmember fits so the tip section overlaps the support member along saidedge portion, said tip section extending along substantially the entirelength of the edge portion of the support member and being biased to actlike a spring which bears against the outside surface of the supportmember and, upon inserting an edge of the score card between the tipsection and the outside surface of the support member, is adapted tohold the score card snugly between said tip section and said outsidesurface, and a pencil holder extending in a second direction outwardlyfrom the mounting member and positioned between a hook member and thetip section of the support member adjacent the cut-a-way corner section,said pencil holder being a generally hollow cylindrical member withopposed open ends and a longitudinal slit therein that allows thecylindrical member to expand upon inserting a pencil into one of theopen ends, and being oriented so that the longitudinal axis of theholder is generally parallel to the edge portion of the support memberthe hook member extending outwardly from the inside surface of thesupport member in said second direction which is generally opposite tosaid first direction, said hook member being adapted to slip over andgrasp an open mouth of a club holding receptacle of a golf bag.